Improved knife-cleaner



@glatten gister gsttrnt @fitta IMPBOVED KNIFE-CLEANER.

@la .clgetute meurt it it tigen tettcrs patent mit nuttig nu at tige tuuu.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERTI:

Be it lrnowathat I, IRA F. THOMPSON, of the city and county of Providence, and Stute of Rhode Island, have invented, made, and applied to use, e. certain -new and useful Improvement in Knife-Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the said inventiomreferenee being had to the annexed drawing, making part of thisspeeication, wherein- FigureA l is a vertical longitudinal section of said knife-cleaner, ,and

Figure 2 is a sectional plan ofthe same, showing one end ofthe rubber or cleaner.

Similar marksof reference denote the same parts.

The object of my said invention is to clean dinner and other knives in a. thorough and rapid manner, and to he able to regulate the extent of pressure at will, so as to scour or polish, as the condition of the knife may require.

The nature of my said invention consists in a. box, containing n. pair of rubbers, fitted. with screws or pins, passing through the box, so that a person taking the box in one hand inserts the knife between the rubbers, and regulates the pressure by more or less force applied to press the pins or screws against the surface of a table or support, the knife beingentered'through an opening at the end-of the box, and the box containing the cleaning-material in the form of dust that passes in between the said rubbers.

In the drawing, a is a'box, made tight, except that one portion is to be removable for the introduction of the cleaning-material. I prefer, for this purpose, a hole with a screw-cap. At one or both ends is a slit, I), for

the introduction of the knife. To make this as tight as possible, so that the dust will not work out, I employ the. septum c, that is made of India rubber, te which small meta-l plates are attached, on each side of the split through'whieh the linife'passes, so as to protect the edges of the rubber from being cut or worn, and at the same time, by the contraction of the rubber around the knife-blade, prevent the cleaning-dust passing out. These plates lap on each otherat the projecting portions that come at the top and bottom ends of the split in the rubber. This rubber septum is between the box-head d and inner head c, and is secured in place by tacks or other fastenings, near its edges. Between the heads c are the cleaners or rubbersff, the ends of which pass into mortises in said heads e, and a'. slight play is allowed to these rubbers, in order that different thicknesses of knives may be introduced, and also that wear on the surface of said rubbers may be compensated by their being brought together.

The surfaces of these rubbers are to be formed of sponge, leather, India rubber, or other similar yielding material. I prefer to have the same formed with transverse ribs, as shown; and this elastic material is supported by the wooden bodyf of the rubber, and said rubber is to be perforated with suitable holes, in order that the dust may pass into the rubber and come into` contact with the knife as it is moved endwise between the rubbers.

I provide screws or pins g, proyeetlng from the rubbers j', and passing through holes in the box, at which point a small packinglmay be applied, and a button or head, on the end of each of said pins or screws, allows them to be pressed upon the table or other support, and give the necessary pressure upon the knife between the rubbers while being cleaned, the pressure being given by bearingdown the box against the rubber supported by the pins. v

The'box may be inverted, so that when the cleaning-dust has passed' through the rubbers from one side, it may be turned over and operated as before, thus eiecting a saving of the dust, insuring a constant and copious supply, and insuring the rapid cleaning' without the dust coming eut ofthe apparatus.

What- I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The knife-cleaner, formed of the rubber-sf, introduced-within the box a, and provided with the pins or screws g, as and for the purposes set forth.

2: I also claim the elastic septum c, fitted as specified, in combination with said rubbers f, box a, and pil s or screws g, as and for the purposes specified. I

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature, this fifteenth day of August, A. D. 1867.

I. F. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

Pnr'rou H. RANDOLPH, Roanne Tnoiursou. 

